Will the Chains Hold?
by Stefi Delly
Summary: When Belle decided to stay, she hadn't anticipated how wrenching it would be to watch Ruby shift into a wolf in Storybrooke for the first time. (Rewrite of Ruby's transformation in Child of the Moon)
1. Chapter 1

**Will the Chains Hold?**

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**Summary**: When Belle decided to stay, she hadn't anticipated how wrenching it would be to watch Ruby shift into a wolf in Storybrooke for the first time.

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_Note 1:_ It's in Belle's POV, but I imply that Ruby already has feelings for her. Meanwhile, Belle's still kinda hung up on Rumpy, but feels strongly about Ruby without quite acknowledging it consciously.

_Note 2_: This is basically a scene I imagine taking place in Child of the Moon, a rewrite of Ruby's first night. If it turns out okay, I might do a couple more scenes further tweaking the episode. It puts a more painful and (for lack of a better word) 'real' twist to Ruby's wolf transformation coz I figure it'd be different in Storybrooke than it was in the Enchanted Forest. (because of the whole 'magic is unpredictable here' thing) It started with just a bit of fanart, and now here's it all written out.

_Note 3_: Lol I started writing this months ago (like April/May) and only got around to posting it now.

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If the knitted brows and set jaw weren't enough to give away Ruby's tension, the fidgeting hands certainly were. It was as if every muscle was coiled and tensed, mere seconds away from springing or snapping.

Not used to seeing Ruby so distressed and agitated was concerning and Belle wished there was more she could do other than stand and watch as her friend flitted from one end of the sheriff's office to the other, heavy chains slung over her shoulders and trailing down to the floor. The loud scraping sounds of the dragging chains hinted at the weight but Ruby barely seemed bothered by it.

"Is there anything I can do?" Belle grasped the bars along the jail cell's door and leaned forward.

"No." The answer was short and clipped. Ruby looped one of the chains around a bar and locked it together. To test if it was secure, she tugged at it, jerking backwards, using both strength and body weight.

"Will the chains hold?" Belle took a step closer, entering the cell.

Ruby dropped the chain she'd just finished with and set about preparing the next one. "Hopefully."

"Then I'm staying." To leave Ruby alone in this state was out of the question.

"_No_." Putting more force into her tone, Ruby took a step forward, "You should leave." The forced posture of assertiveness to mask fear and distress almost reminded Belle of Rumple.

In an attempt to lighten the mood, Belle drew closer, placed her hands on Ruby's shoulders. It wasn't quite the same as it was with Rumple, and these shoulders were a touch higher than what she was used to, but Belle still found herself using a similar technique.

"Think of it as girl's night." Belle smiled, lifted here brows and titled her head.

Instead of softening, Ruby's expression hardened. "Just _leave_." Shrugging off Belle's hands, Ruby turned away and returned her attention to setting the last chain with more forceful movements than usual. "This isn't going to be some magical sight like in your books or movies."

Grasping the last chain, Ruby pulled at it several times, and while the chain itself held, the jail bars rattled. A groan of frustration rushed through Ruby's gritted teeth, almost sounding like a growl. "This isn't even going to be like it was in the Enchanted Forest. Gold said it would be worse."

"What did Rumple say?" On top of a lot of people giving her weird looks for being involved with him, Belle also still couldn't get used to them calling him Mr. Gold instead of Rumplestiltskin or at least The Dark One.

Still facing the bars, keeping her back to Belle, Ruby spoke again, this time with a much softer voice, a plea. "Belle, don't you want to go? It's not safe for you to be here."

"I'm not going anywhere." Belle kept her voice even and calm.

"You _should_." The force went back into Ruby's words. "Gold said that it's going to be _really_ bad," She turned back to Belle, and continued speaking in that agitated, almost argumentative tone. "That it's going to be _unbearable_," Pent-up emotions rushed out of Ruby in a malicious, mocking imitation of Rumple's voice. "That yer gowen t'wish it'll just kill ye instead, dearie."

Too worried about Ruby to feel the least bit insulted by the jab at Rumple, Belle reached forward with her hand, hoping to convey her concern. "Ruby…"

She was pacing now, moving increasingly faster within the confined space of the cell. "I could've asked him for help." Breaths coming in fast gasps, Ruby's distress drew closer and closer to its peak. "He offered a damn potion that might've made it less of a nightmare than it already is, and he even had a place I could've used but _NO_!"

Belle flinched at the raised voice and stepped back a little when Ruby stopped pacing. The look on her face was of someone trapped and struggling to make sense of conflicting emotions in a stressful situation. Someone who might just burst into some action of recklessness. "I _can't_ owe him a favor and I _can't_ help him with what he wanted-"

In the middle of her rant, Ruby just stopped and stumbled backwards, deflating. Her eyes darted left and right. "I just _couldn't_." She finished without elaborating.

The fact that Rumple might be able to help meant something could still be done about this. "What did he ask? Maybe I could still talk to him." Despite how much Ruby kept trying to scare and beg her away, Belle couldn't shake off her concern and worry. Ruby was her _friend_. The first real friend Belle ever had in Storybrooke, maybe even _ever_. She couldn't be idle when there was even the slightest chance that she could somehow help. "Ruby, he'll listen to me. What can-"

"Dammit, Belle, just-" A sound somewhere between a yell and a groan came out of Ruby, keeping her from finishing her sentence. She fell to her knees, crumpling into herself, clutching her stomach, trembling.

Ignoring all the warnings form David and Granny about immediately staying away at the first signs of the transformation, Belle rushed to Ruby's side, crouching down next to her and touching her shoulder.

"Is it starting?"

A long, low groan was the only answer Ruby could manage. She tried to crawl away, only to collapse onto her side, body wracked by shivers, escalating into spasms.

Just as suddenly as it had begun, it stopped.

Eyes snapping open, Ruby breathed heavily and looked just about ready to panic. She scrambled to her feet and moved quickly despite the unsteadiness to her legs.

"Should I call David?" Belle could see that the bout had left Ruby drained and breathless. She was too shaky to handle the chains, fumbling with them and barely able to stand without leaning against the wall. "Or Granny?"

"They're…" Ruby winced and grasped the bars to support herself. "They're busy." David had said he needed to deal with unrest King George was trying to start, while Granny set off to try again at finding Ruby's cloak. "And I don't want them to see this."

Using one hand to support herself with the bars, Ruby tried reaching for the chains again, only to stop and lean back, massaging her head with her free hand as if trying to nurse a headache.

"Belle…" From her slumped position against the bars, Ruby looked up. "Will you leave? _Please_?"

Still ignoring the warnings they'd all been giving her, Belle only moved closer, offering her shoulder for Ruby to lean on. "Let me help you."

For a few seconds, Ruby seemed to consider trying again at being insistent, but the fight left her eyes and she leaned against Belle. "I just can't get rid of you, can I?" Though it was delivered in a weakened voice that was almost a whisper and a bit of a whimper, Belle detected the attempt at a lighter, teasing tone.

"Not a chance." Belle played along, hoping to maintain this easier mood.

Ruby tensed again, this time letting go of the bar in favor of clinging to Belle. It was challenging to support Ruby's weight when her legs just gave way and her body began to tremble again. The spasms were jerkier and more violent this time, eliciting whimpers and cries from Ruby. She buried her face into one of Belle's shoulders and tightly grasped the other.

It took stumbling back and bumping into the wall for Belle to keep them from both falling over.

And just like the first bout, this second one eventually went away, albeit after taking much longer than its predecessor.

"It… It was…" When Ruby finally had the breath to speak, it was softer than ever. "'It was never _this_ bad before." Still maintaining her grip on Belle's shoulder, Ruby tried to move so the majority of her weight was supported more by the wall than by Belle.

From where she was standing, Belle didn't see how Ruby could be much of a threat in this state. The transformation had barely even begun, but she already looked exhausted and just about ready to pass out. How could she even have any energy or strength left to attack anything after the entire transformation had finished?

"I… I should…" The tired, pained look in Ruby's eyes flickered, then a look of purpose shot through them. Fighting against her fatigue, she pushed herself away from Belle and the wall to stumble back towards the chains, ignoring the unsteadiness still affecting her legs.

"_What are you doing_?" Belle automatically turned away the moment she realized Ruby was undoing her top. David and Granny didn't say anything about _this_ when they said Belle could help.

"It took me several months' worth of continuous shifts at the diner to afford this and I am _not_ going to risk ruining it tonight." As if putting all of her energy into focusing on one task at a time helped with gathering her scattered strength, Ruby successfully removed the blouse and tossed it in Belle's direction.

Flustered and fumbling, Belle caught it and concentrated on collecting all the necklaces and bracelets Ruby was so fond of adorning herself with. By the time she was stripped to her undergarments, Ruby set about attaching the manacles to her wrists and ankles.

There wasn't a lot of time to dwell on any odd feelings or discomfort. Belle had just enough time to place Ruby's belongings on the sheriff's desk when screams and gasps filled the office again.

Moving quickly, Belle went straight to crouching next to Ruby. This latest bout was the worst one by far; contorting her face into a grimace of agony while cries wrenched themselves out of her throat. The sound of breaking and reshaping bones was loud enough to be audible now. Belle flinched at each sickening crunch and held onto Ruby while her body squirmed and contorted itself into arched or crumpled positions.

"You'll get through this." Belle kept her arms around Ruby, supporting her and mumbling whatever words of encouragement came to mind. "You're doing great, Ruby. It'll be okay."

The latest spasm arched Ruby's back until the sound of popping joints came in a string of noise that filled the air and elicited another long, loud scream of agony.

And it was over again.

Sweat coating her skin, eyes glazed over and shiny, Ruby was now breathing more in weak whimpers than in rapid gasps. She didn't resist when she was pulled closer to have her head cradled on Belle's lap.

_You're almost there. You're almost done_. Belle tried to say it but the words were lodged in her throat and refused to come out. They were lies. From the look of things, at the rate they were going, Ruby was likely to experience this pain for at least a few more hours. Every time her bones and joints tried to set themselves, they ended up reverting back to their original position, leaving Ruby stuck in her human form, dizzy from the pain and growing weaker with each bout.

Nothing looked even remotely wolf-like yet.

Ruby still had a _long_ way to go.

"I don't think… I don't think I'll be in control…" Ruby was speaking again, voice softer than ever. "Dunno what's… gonna happen…" Now shivering more from the aftereffects of the pain than anything else, Ruby reached for Belle's hand and held it in a light grasp. "Should go… Leave."

"I told you." Belle ran her fingers through Ruby's hair, moving the strands away from her face and lightly massaging her scalp. "You're not getting rid of me so easily."

"Some girl's night, huh?"

The words had barely left Ruby's mouth when the fourth bout came. Her grasp on Belle's hand tightened. Her lips curled back, her eyes scrunched up, her brow furrowed.

It was even stronger, more forceful, more sickening.

Louder crunching sounds accompanied the distortion of Ruby's leg. It stretched itself taut. The ankle bent into itself with a pop. The heel jutted outwards, bone protruding and reshaping the tensed skin. Ruby was gasping and whimpering and screaming and gripping Belle's hand, clinging to it as a lifeline.

The sight was terrifying. Belle could only imagine how much pain could come from this kind of ordeal. "It's going to be alright." She continued to stroke Ruby's hair despite feeling wracked by guilt, concern and helplessness at the look of pain and fear in Ruby's eyes.

"It…" Ruby cried out when her leg snapped forward, the knee repositioning itself with more cracks and crunches. "_Fuck_, it hurts." Her grip on Belle's hand grew even tighter. The distorting leg's foot jutted outward, stretching itself into a new shape, already starting to resemble a less human form.

"You'll get through this." Belle touched Ruby's face, feeling the tension of every muscle there. "You're doing a fine job, Ruby." The library of words in Belle's head had gone off to hide itself, leaving her helplessly frustrated with the lack of eloquence.

She wanted to help, but she didn't know what to do. She wanted to offer words of comfort and encouragement, but only the default, typical clichés were all she could come up with.

Ruby's grip grew tighter, nails digging into skin, fingers squeezing the entire hand. It was starting to be more painful than merely uncomfortable, but Belle ignored it, knowing a squeezed hand was nothing compared to Ruby's ordeal.

The first leg was still at last. The other took its place in tormenting Ruby, knee crumpling, shin breaking into a more curved form, heel extending upward, toes reshaping. Ruby's back arched and more screams and gasps poured out of her.

By the time the pain subsided, Ruby was coated in sweat, sobbing in between gasps and too weak to move.

"Belle…" Ruby looked up, "You're… you're going to have to leave soon." Too drained to lift her hand and point, Ruby glanced towards her legs. Unlike with the previous bouts, the latest distortions had remained. The result was an unnatural sight that hovered somewhere between human and wolf. The nails were already in the beginning stages of narrowing to a point while hints of hardening skin at the soles of her feet were the start of padded paws.

"Sshh." Belle kissed the side of Ruby's head. "I'm not leaving you." And first thing tomorrow morning, Belle was going straight to Rumple and talk to him about this. If he was as good as he said he was going to be for her, then surely, he would help.

"No, I… I mean it, Belle." Ruby shivered, blinked back tears and tried to put more strength into her voice. "When… _it_ happens… If I'm not in control…" A short, bitter laugh sounded more like something between cough and sob. "Which is probably gonna be the case-"

"I'll talk to Rumple about it tomorrow." Belle gave the only solid promise she could offer, the only concrete thing she could do to help. It was a solid plan she was definitely going to follow through with. Blinking a few times, Belle realized her own eyes had teared up. "There's got to be a way to-"

Ruby tugged at Belle's hand, "I'm going to black out, Belle." The look of combined guilt and fear was as bad as seeing that of pure agony. "It's gonna happen and the wolf… i-it…" Leaning her head back against Belle's lap, Ruby looked down at the ground. "It's killed before and it could kill ag-"

Another scream ended that sentence. Her body jerked sideways, struck by an unseen force. The crunch of a breaking and morphing ribcage filled Belle's ears. Against the arm she had around Ruby's body, Belle felt the rise and fall of hard lumps, varying in not just sizes but also how much they protruded. Feeling the movement of various bones under her friend's skin made Belle cringe despite herself.

"_H-hurts_." Ruby gasped, doubling over and wrapping her free arm around her stomach while the other maintained its grasp on Belle's hand. The sharp pains against her skin hinted that Ruby's fingernails were already beginning to shift into claws.

"I-it'll be alright." Belle said uselessly, panic fluttering through her chest. Nevermind a few punctures in her skin from a half-transformed wolf's claws. This wrenching distress was worse. _Ruby_ was having it worse. She thrashed like her skin was on fire and her bones being crushed. "Ruby! Ruby, it'll be alright."

The only answer was a scream accompanied by Ruby curling up as the skin along her back rippled with the movement of a transforming spine.

"Remember the library key?" Maybe transporting themselves away from this experience and reminiscing better times would help. Belle was grasping at whatever she could think of, flailing and desperate to do anything when all she could really do was nothing.

"What about the fucking library key?" Ruby's voice came out deeper then Belle had ever heard it before, growled out and raspy, from a parched throat and through sharpened teeth.

Belle almost hesitated, remembering Granny's warning of how dangerous wolves could be. The green eyes that usually sparkled with cheerful energy were attaining a yellow tint and an eerie glow.

Then a whine came through Ruby's mouth as she shut her eyes and further tightened her grip on Belle's hand. The moving bones under tight, stretched skin pressed against Belle as Ruby leaned closer. "Make it stop… _please_."

The crunching, cracking sounds still filled the air, but they were growing softer again, a sign of this latest bout nearing another temporary end.

"I know you had something to do with it." Whatever Granny or David or Ruby herself might have said, Belle couldn't just leave. She tried again at the only way she could attempt to help. "Rumple might have had the key, but I know you talked him into it."

The bout had subsided again, leaving Ruby limp against Belle's lap, barely strong enough to maintain a firm grip on Belle's hand anymore, which was now riddled with light pink lines. A few looked like they might open into cuts soon.

"It was your idea in the first place for me to take up the vacant librarian position." Belle tried not to focus on the little droplets of tears clinging to Ruby's eyelashes or the way her fingertips were starting to resemble pads and claws or that her ribcage now seemed wider or that the ridges along her back were more pronounced than they should be for a normal spine. "I don't think I ever got to properly thank you for that."

She concentrated on Ruby's eyes, which were now back to their usual comforting, cool shade of green. They were teary and shiny and half-closed.

"Wasn't that hard." Ruby's response was soft, less than a whisper. Belle had to lower her head closer to Ruby's to be able to hear. "He… He pretty much…" Ruby swallowed and licked her lips, dehydrated after so much screaming and thrashing. "…drooled at the slightest chance of…"

A violent shiver wracked through Ruby's body, causing both of them to tense, expecting the worst bout yet. Instead, only stillness followed. Ruby licked her lips again and continued, "…of being able to _win you over_ after..."

Unless Belle was mistaken, there was a distinctly bitter tone to Ruby's words at that, though it might have just been the shiver, and the curl of her lip could easily be tied to her sore body.

"And he _did_ ask for another chance," Belle could still remember their talk in the library as though it had taken place just yesterday. It had been refreshing and lifting to feel more on equal ground with him then, given the opportunity to have a say without any of his usual dismissive or evasive behaviors.

"You deserve better." Ruby's heavily-lidded eyes had finally closed and Belle wasn't sure where such a random statement could come from.

"Ruby, I know you disapprove of him, but-"

"Better than _him_," Ruby's eyes flashed open again to focus directly up at Belle. "And better than _me_."

Belle's brow furrowed as she tried to wrap her head around Ruby's words. Was she so convinced she was a monster, that she thought Belle deserved better friends? "Ruby, you were the only person who really helped me get back on my feet after-"

Screaming, Ruby shot upwards, her head crashing straight into Belle's chin, sending her falling off balance to land on her back.

_Not again_.

A longer rest would have been so much better for Ruby.

The haunting yells and cries rang in Belle's ears and she doubted she would ever be able to sleep well in the nights after this. Not after hearing the breaking bones and stretching skin and seeing the pained eyes and thrashing body.

Despite the throbbing chin and sore hand, Belle scrambled back into her crouching position next to Ruby.

She was on her hands and knees, curled up with her head and elbows nearly touching the floor. The chains rattled and shook with Ruby's every movement. Tremors went through her, escalating into spasms until she was reduced to a writhing mess, jerking into different positions, on her back, on her side, on her stomach, each movement punctuated by each nauseating _crunch_.

Belle wrapped her arms around Ruby and pulled her close again, trying to still her movements, hoping it offered some comfort, wishing it would actually be of any help.

Whimpering and screaming intermittently, Ruby's body continued to squirm and jerk against her will. Her hands flailed and clawed at the ground before finding their grip on Belle's clothing, bunching up big handfuls of the cloth and hanging on tightly. She felt the material stretching.

Despite Ruby's wild movements, Belle managed to hold on, pressing her cheek to the top of Ruby's head and whispering more useless encouragement into her ear. "You're _Ruby_."

"You're tough," the screams broke into uneven sobs, "…and you're strong," the shift of her shoulderblades, protruding through the skin of her back before plunging down into a lower position, dislocated her shoulders with a pop and another scream, "…and you're beautiful and _you can get through this_."

The jolt of her shoulders caused Ruby to involuntarily pull at Belle's clothes. There was a distinct tearing sound as the fabric was stretched and strained.

"Ruby, whatever happens," With one arm maintaining its grasp on the trembling body in front of her, Belle used her other hand to cup Ruby's cheek and guide her into making eye contact. The green was being tinted by yellow again, glowing and eerie and unfamiliar. It was turning more into amber or gold than green already. "You are _not_ a monster."


	2. Chapter 2

**Will the Chains Hold?**

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**Summary**: When Belle decided to stay, she hadn't anticipated how wrenching it would be to watch Ruby shift into a wolf in Storybrooke for the first time.

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Lips that curled back for another scream also revealed rapidly protruding canines and sharpening incisors. Ruby's head jerked away from Belle's hand. "I think…" The reshaping arms and elbows elicited a long, low whimper. "I'm going to black out soon." Her ears were swelling and her teeth could barely fit into her mouth.

Distantly, Belle recalled David and Granny's warnings.

Ruby herself had said that when she blacks out as a wolf, she loses control and causes irreparable damage.

A small sense of self-preservation whispered that Belle should probably consider putting some distance between herself and Ruby before things escalated into something more dangerous.

But the feel of a trembling body against hers; the sounds of whimpers, cries and screams echoing through her ears; the combined sight and feel of moving bones under heated skin; the mere sight of a friend going through unimaginable agony—that was all enough to convince Belle to stay close and maintain her grip and continue her whispers.

"Just hold on, Ruby. You're almost there." Belle continued, "You'll get through this. You _can_."

"Sorry 'bout your blouse." Ruby managed to say before pressing her face into Belle's shoulder and bunching up more handfuls of the stretched cloth.

That they managed to think about _that_ at this time caused Belle to let out a clipped and broken laugh. "Don't even worry about it." After tonight, it was probably going to look stretched beyond recognition, but was that really even something that mattered?

As if the long, drawn out transformation that had spanned several hours had finally reached its peak, it suddenly sped up. The cracks and crunches came in quick succession, the jolts were faster and more continuous. Ruby's screams became more like wails and howls. The chains rattled loudly with each increasingly wild movement. Her face shot forward, her jaw dislocated itself, changing size and shape, stretching forward while her nose broke and crunched forward.

Terror like she'd never felt before froze every muscle in Belle's body as she watched, eyes wide, mouth agape, heart racing.

How could anyone go through _that_?

High-pitched whimpers were coming out of Ruby's mouth, more canine than human. Her hands lost their grasp on Belle's clothes when the fingers grew too short to be dexterous.

A paw shot upwards and clipped Belle across the face, sending her back down against the ground.

She stayed where she lay, still too stunned to move.

Ruby was on all fours, whimpering and growling as her body worked on the final touches to the transformation while layer upon layer of fur made its way across her skin. She continued to claw at the ground and paw at her face and wail and buck and thrash for several more minutes.

Until glowing amber eyes locked on Belle.

The wolf –_Ruby_, _that was still Ruby_—bared her teeth and lunged, landing right on top of Belle, a heavy paw over each shoulder. She felt her breath catch in her throat as she searched for some sign of Ruby under the unrecognizable features of a snarling wolf baring its entire collection of sharp, intimidating teeth.

"R-Ru…" Belle swallowed and choked on fear. She _knew_ Ruby was still in this wolf's body somehow, but even Belle couldn't deny that those teeth and jaws were easily capable of tearing skin and crushing bone. "_Ruby_?"

Low growls rumbled in the wolf's throat. The fur along its neck—now fully covered in a thick coat—was raised. It –_she_—opened her jaws wide and jerked forward. Belle shut her eyes.

Metal clanged.

And no teeth met her skin.

Opening here eyes, Belle saw the wolf –_Ruby_—turn her head to snarl at the taut chain restraining her hindlegs. She tried again at lunging forward, only to be stopped by the chain at her neck. It pulled at her throat until she was forced to move away from Belle, hacking and coughing.

The distraction and discomfort had only been temporary. Ruby recovered and began charging towards the opposite corner of the jail cell, pulling at the chains with all of her strength and weight. Growls and snarls mingled with the straining chains and rattling bars.

It wasn't so much a question of how well the chains would hold, as it was if the _bars_ could hold. Belle could see the metal already beginning to bend under the viciousness of Ruby's pulls.

Ruby _had_ to still be in there somewhere. This was just the aggressive, unrestrained, _wolfish_ incarnation of the fear and distress that plagued her. It was just a matter of regaining control somehow.

On shaky limbs, Belle managed to push herself into a crouching position, then into a standing position.

Granny and Ruby talked about how much of a monster the uncontrolled wolf could be but Belle still refused to believe that, even as her heart hammered at her chest with unparalleled fear. Even as her legs trembled like she could collapse at any moment. Even as her friend growled with terrifying viciousness and pulled at the restraints with alarming strength. Even as the bars bent more than they should. Even as Ruby looked and behaved so differently from what Belle had seen before.

This was just another side of Ruby, but it was _still_ Ruby.

"You're not a monster." A wolf, yes. Difficult to control, yes. But not a monster.

The sound attracted Ruby's attention. Her ears pivoted to Belle's direction, followed by a tilted head and eyes locked on her. Before Belle could think of this reaction as a positive one, Ruby's hackles rose up again. She growled and lunged towards Belle.

"Ruby, _no_!"

Accompanying the growls was the reverberating sound of breaking metal. The first bar gave way, giving Ruby the reach she needed to lean forward and slam her torso into Belle. Another bar gave way. They hit the ground with a thud and a jolt of pain through Belle's back and shoulders.

"No!" Belle put her hands against Ruby's chest and tried to push her away. The wolf's snarls were followed by several barks. Unaffected by Belle's efforts, Ruby lowered herself and brought her bared teeth dangerously close. "Ruby!"

Head pressed against the floor, Belle couldn't move any farther from those teeth. Her arms quivered with the effort of trying to push the wolf back. Warm puffs of breath heated her face.

"_RUBY_!" Belle screamed her loudest. It affected the wolf this time. She stopped snarling, and for a moment that happened so fast Belle wasn't sure if she'd imagined it or not, a flicker of green went through the amber eyes.

The snarling face changed into a different expression. Shutting her eyes and gritting her teeth, Ruby whimpered and shivered.

"Ruby?" Despite how potentially dangerous it was, Belle reached for Ruby's face and touched her cheek. She licked her lips and pressed her ears flat against her skull.

Another long, low whine left Ruby before she jerked away from Belle and crawled to a corner. There was no longer any sign of the vicious, snarling wolf. This now looked more like someone upset and ashamed.

Again, Belle picked herself up and made her way to Ruby. "You're not going to hurt me or _anyone_." She kept her back turned and only whined in reply. "I _know_ you aren't." With careful slowness, Belle moved to touch Ruby's shoulder in a gesture of reassurance.

Instead, Ruby turned and snapped her jaws a mere inch from Belle's face. Startled, she fell back and scrambled away.

Ruby barked once, a loud and echoing warning, then resumed her position facing the corner, refusing to face Belle.

Not wanting to push Ruby any further than she'd already been pushed, Belle figured this was the time to leave the cell. She crept out backwards, keeping her eye on the wolf, now curled up and whimpering.

Clashing thoughts kept rushing through Belle's mind as she locked the cell door.

The broken bars indicated that as a wolf, Ruby was _strong_. The metal just gave way and snapped and while the chains were relatively intact for the most part, there were several links that had bent and deformed. A few looked to be just another tug or two away from breaking, too.

That strength was something to be wary of.

Feeling warm dampness at her cheek, Belle brought a hand up to touch her face and realized two scratches cut through her skin. With the adrenaline gradually wearing off, Belle felt her shoulders getting heavy and sore. A couple of bruises would develop soon.

Ruby _did_ have the potential to cause damage.

But as she leaned back against the sheriff's desk, Belle also knew that if the being in that cell had _really_ been an uncontrollable monster, she would be dead by now. A couple of shallow cuts and a bit of bruising was minor damage compared to what happened to the bars. It was _nothing_ compared to the brutality Belle had been exposed to in the past, back in the Enchanted Forest, when Rumple was at his worst. He would torture people just for crossing him. He would change people into snails and crush them underfoot.

And _Ruby_? Ruby wasn't like that at all.

Dizzy from the swimming thoughts and drained from all the wrenching emotions tied to this whole experience, Belle went to sit on Emma's chair by the desk. It sank under her weight and felt comfortable.

Still, Belle wished she could do something to be more helpful to Ruby. Lying on the cold floor couldn't be very comfortable, whether or not she was a wolf.

"David and Granny see the good in you." They gave their warnings to Belle, but not before trying to assure Ruby that they believed in her and trusted her not to hurt anyone. David even said that if anyone in the town had a problem with Ruby, they would have to answer to him. "_I_ see the good in you."

A twitch of the wolf's ears hinted that she might have heard what Belle said. "Ruby, why can't _you_?"

The wolf tilted her head back and howled.

It wasn't a hunting call or a yell of rage. In fact, it sounded more like a song of sorrow. Hearing it filled Belle with a sense of heaviness, of crippling sadness, of wrenching guilt and of that dark, festering hatred Ruby held towards herself.

If not for that warning bark that almost sounded like a clear order to stay away, Belle would be back in there, trying to hold Ruby in her arms and assure her that she wasn't the monster she claimed to be. She wasn't a bloodthirsty beast. She wasn't a killer.

She _held back_. She _stopped_.

Ruby may have her faults and she may be a wolf with dangerous teeth and claws. But if there was anything Belle could be sure about, it was the fact that Ruby was _not_ a monster.

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_Notes_: Thanks for the follows and reviewing and for reading this. I'll be posting the final part a little later, after proofreading it one more time. :D


	3. Chapter 3

**Will the Chains Hold?**

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**Summary**: When Belle decided to stay, she hadn't anticipated how wrenching it would be to watch Ruby shift into a wolf in Storybrooke for the first time.

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**Notes and Rambles:** Aaand here's the last part. Thanks for reading :D

* * *

The night wore on with Ruby sometimes howling, sometimes whimpering. Belle watched from behind Emma's desk, torn between maintaining distance to give Ruby some space and running in there to comfort her.

A text from David came at some point in the evening, informing Belle that the riot had been minor and people had gone back to their homes. King George –_Spencer_—left, too. David went on to also say that he hoped that would be end of it, but expressed doubt that it wouldn't be. Belle didn't know what else to say other than to thank David for his efforts.

There was no word from Granny yet.

Belle sighed and went back to watching Ruby.

She wasn't even trying to escape. That there were people who were angry with her for something beyond her control infuriated Belle. They were wrong to even _suggest_ that Ruby was a beast with nothing but blood and murder in mind.

If they could only see Ruby right now, they would know and understand. They _should_ know and understand.

They were complete strangers when they first met. Their lives in Storybrooke hadn't crossed paths until that day in the diner while their lives in the Enchanted Forest had been worlds apart. Belle was just a customer at the diner ordering iced tea, but Ruby had still taken the time to talk to her and get to know her. She offered Belle a place to stay.

It took an especially good person to just offer that to someone they'd never met before.

The loved ones she trusted, her father and Rumple, went on and treated her like an incompetent child, forcing her into decisions and situations without her consent, hiding their motivations from her, depriving her of any choice in any matter.

Amidst all that, Ruby always asked Belle what _she_ wanted to do.

How could anyone like that be a monster?

The high, piercing pitch of pained whines shot through Belle's ears. She bolted upright, realizing she'd dozed off without meaning to. Through a window, Belle saw purple streaking through the sky, hinting at the early stages of dawn.

From her spot in the corner, Ruby was trembling, tail between her legs, ears pushed back. Several more whimpers pushed through her gritted teeth. It was a brief spell, concluding with Ruby pacing the width of her cell, panting and carrying a tired expression.

Belle recognized the early stages of Ruby transforming back and stood up, all trace of the previous grogginess gone. Fully awake now, Belle felt her stomach churn with uneasiness. If shifting back was going to be just as bad as last night, this was going to be another long several hours.

The second bout had Ruby collapsing onto her side, whimpering and crying out as her back arched into unnatural positions. All four limbs were stretched out, being pulled from their sockets by an unseen force.

Pained by the very sight, Belle went straight to the cell and grasped the bars. She was just about to open the door when Ruby scrambled to her feet and let out another rumbling bark of a warning.

"But-"

Ruby pounced forward and stopped just in front of Belle. The remaining chains were pulled taut and the few bars still intact protested with a metallic clang. A long, drawn out snarl involving bared teeth and flashing eyes told Belle she was better off staying outside of the cell.

It didn't stop her from wishing she were in there instead though. Belle slid down to sit on the floor and watch with helplessness and frustration bubbling through her.

The next bout jerked Ruby's body to the side with the same sickening crunches that still made Belle's skin crawl. It was excruciating to watch the transformation happen all over again, each bout more severe than the last, with the rest periods in between growing shorter and shorter, the sounds of breaking bone getting louder and louder. Another bar broke in the middle of a particularly strong episode, when Ruby thrashed on the floor and pulled at the chains, screaming out sounds that were somewhere between wolf and human.

Clutching the bars in a grip so tight her knuckles turned white and her palms grew numb, Belle wished she could turn her head away from the sight but her eyes remained fixed on the writhing wolf she knew was Ruby.

The passing hours could well have been passing days with the way they dragged on at such an agonizing pace. By the time it was over, sunlight was already filtering through the window, casting light on the destroyed bars and chains, and on Ruby's trembling, naked form.

Once it looked like the transformation was over, Belle fumbled with the cell door in her haste to get it open. She grabbed a blanket from the nearest bed and rushed to Ruby's side, putting it over her body.

Besides sweat, dust and some lose strands of fur shed by the wolf, Belle saw several bruises coloring Ruby's skin. There were several along her back and shoulders, but the worst damage was the red, worn out skin around her wrists, ankles and neck. The manacles had cut into her at some parts, causing portions that were bleeding as much as bruising.

There was no use in asking Ruby if she was alright because she clearly wasn't. Belle worked on removing the manacles first, freeing the irritated skin from their restraints.

"Sorry," Ruby's voice was low and raspy, rough against a dry throat.

Belle removed the last manacle from Ruby's ankle before turning to stare at her. The sight of those eyes—recognizable again in that cool, calming shade of green—should've given Belle the cheery, fluttery feeling they usually produced. Instead, the heavy guilt and sadness made Belle pause. "What are you talking about?"

Wincing, the slightest of movements too much exertion on her exhausted body, Ruby lifted a hand to lightly touch Belle's scratched cheek before dropping it back to the floor. "Didn't mean to… I just… It just happened and- Belle, I _never_ would have- I'm just- I-" Ruby swallowed dryly, her voice still rough against her throat. "I'm sorry." Her eyes were glossy and pained.

"Ssh," Belle pulled Ruby closer. The scratches were minor. If not for this reminder, Belle would have completely forgotten that they were even there. Aside from the light twinges of pain, they were nothing. "I know you didn't mean it."

"I just…" Ruby's voice shook as she pulled her arms close to her body and continued to shiver under the blanket. "I blacked out for a while and… and it was like flashing in and out of control and I just… Belle, I'm _so_ _sorry_." She buried her face into the crook of Belle's arm.

Belle wanted to get up and get water for Ruby, or dig through this office until a first aid kit was found and could be immediately used to treat Ruby, or run to the diner for a drink and breakfast for her or go straight to Rumple and demand he work his magic on Ruby so this night would never happen again or physically pick Ruby up and carry her to her own bed so she could finally rest after going through an experience that couldn't possibly be described as anything other than _hell_.

But she also wanted to stay here and never leave Ruby's side and just soothe her and kiss her forehead and tell her it was okay now and she was safe and the pain was over.

Belle settled with asking, "How much do you remember?"

"I remember…" Ruby's head moved from Belle's arm to her lap. "I remember hurting you." The tone took a sharp turn towards bitter, resentful, soured by guilt and disgust.

"It's nothing." Something twisted in Belle's chest at the way Ruby continued to carry that same self-hate, that same conviction that she was far from being a good person. "Ruby, I've dealt with worse." A half-hearted attempt to use a light, playful tone just fell flat in Belle's mouth.

Too tired to contradict Belle or argue, Ruby sighed and closed her eyes. "I remember feeling scared and… feeling sad." The howls and whimpers through the night had been her way of expressing that.

Ruby's eyes snapped open again. "I remember wanting you to leave so I wouldn't hurt you anymore."

There was a tremble to her voice again as she swallowed and covered her face with the blanket. "I remember feeling so sad it was like my chest was going to explode again."

"You recognized me though." Was the first thing Belle could think of to try lifting Ruby's mood. "You stopped and you walked away from me. You did everything you could to avoid hurting me."

The only response was a sigh into the blanket.

"Ruby, _that's_ the good in you." Belle continued. "_That's_ who you are. It isn't in your nature to hurt people."

Keeping her face hidden in the blanket, Ruby brought her knees closer to her chest. The audible, unsteady sound of her breathing hinted that she was struggling to continue holding back tears.

"You're brave and strong for going through this," Belle's thumb traced circles around the cloth over Ruby's shoulder. "You're considerate for being as worried about me as you are." A long, shaky intake of breath came from under the blanket.

"That you're going through such worry over the safety of the town, so much so that you had this…" Belle gestured towards the entire cell even if Ruby might not see the movement from her position. "this whole set up, _that's_ the good in you."

A sob and another shaky breath.

"Ruby," While still stroking Ruby's shoulder with one hand, Belle used the other to lift the blanket by an inch. At first, the cloth tensed as Ruby tightened her grip to keep her face covered. "Ruby, _please_…"

There was a sigh before the cloth relaxed, allowing Belle to pull it away from Ruby's face.

The sight gave Belle another jolt. Something constricted in her chest.

"What?" With one hand gripping the blanket across her chest, Ruby used the other to wipe at her face. A shiver ran through her body, and another sob escaped before she could control it.

Placing a hand on Ruby's cheek, Belle used her thumb to wipe a tear. "Ruby, listen to me." She tilted Ruby's head up to meet her eyes. They were still so sorrowful, Belle felt her chest tighten further. Without really thinking about it, without hesitating, she leaned forward and kissed Ruby's forehead. "You are _not_ a monster."

Neither confirming nor denying it, Ruby just moved closer and pressed her face against Belle's shoulder.

This side to Ruby, exhausted and hurt and broken, it was so different from the cheerful woman Belle had met at the diner, bubbling with energy and quick to offer the widest grins ever to grace a person's face.

This Ruby was curled up and sobbing, her insecurities and faults and regrets and fears as exposed by the entire night as her body under the blanket.

"I-I'll talk to Rumple about finding a way to make the next night easier." Belle stroked Ruby's hair, which was wild and tangled after a night of thrashing and writhing. It wasn't like the soft waves she usually maintained throughout the day. "We'll figure this out."

"Belle?" Ruby's voice was muffled by Belle's shoulder.

She continued stroking Ruby's hair, careful to be as light and gentle as possible. After hours of that torture, the last thing she needed was more discomfort. "Yes?"

"Thanks for staying."

"I told you that you wouldn't be getting rid of me so easily, didn't I?

Belle wouldn't have left Ruby like that for anything.


End file.
